Linking local ecological outcomes with basin-wide water planning: a case study of Yanga National Park,an important Australian inland forested wetland

Abstract

Maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of floodplains remains a priority for many Australian federal and state government agencies. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) introduced the Proposed Basin Plan 2012, the Australian government’s latest basin-scale water planning instrument to promote a healthy, working river system. The proposal seeks to limit surface water (consumptive) use to 10 873 GL year^-1 on a long-term average. The controversy prompted by this proposed reduction has underscored a need for rigorous and transparent modelling of ecological benefits. In this paper, we investigate the likely ecological outcomes of the proposal for Yanga National Park, one of the most significant environmental assets in the Murray-Darling Basin, using a decision support system. Our results indicate that the proposal will increase the inundation extent with a 33% (or 7000 ha) increase in median flood. The increase in inundation would improve the hydrological conditions in most wetlands in terms of the frequency and duration of events and inter-flood dry periods and enhance the habitat quality for a range of biota, though benefits are not distributed evenly across the wetland.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Wen, L. and Saintilan, N., 2014. Linking local ecological outcomes with basin-wide water planning: a case study of Yanga National Park, an important Australian inland forested wetland. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 904–915.     

Analysis on the ecological benefits of the stream water conveyance to the dried-up river of the lower reaches of Tarim River,China

Water is the foundation of the composition, de-velopment and stability of the oasis ecosystems in thearid areas, and is the key ecological factor in the aridareas. The study results showed that in the arid areasthe biological process is weak, the biological ecosys-tems are small in scale and low in stability[1— . So the 9]growth of the natural vegetation is directly influencedby the change of groundwater level, leading to thedegradation of ecosystem[10,11]. Analysis on the rela-tionship betwe…     

River discharge,land use change,and surface water quality in the Xiangjiang River,China

To compare the impacts of river discharge on the surface water quality of the Xiangjiang River in China, 12 surface water quality parameters recorded at 31 sampling sites from January 1998 to December 2008 along the river and its main tributaries were analyzed. Significantly higher concentrations of total nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, and total phosphorus, and biochemical oxygen demand were observed during low‐flow periods than during high‐flow periods, implying a higher risk to local residents drinking untreated water during low‐flow periods. Pollution indexes, including the inorganic pollution index and integrated pollution index (IPI), were negatively related to impervious surface area (ISA) and cropland area (CLA) when ISA (CLA) was less than 160 (3000) km². However, the relationship was positive when ISA (CLA) was larger than 160 (3000) km², which provided a reasonable explanation for the observed spatial patterns of water quality. Distinct increasing temporal trends for two kinds of pollution indexes were also found. The annual ISA was significantly related to the rapid degradation of water quality from 1998 to 2008, with correlation coefficient (r) values of 0.816 (p = 0.002) and 0.711 (p = 0.014) for the organic pollution index (OPI) and IPI, respectively. However, annual rainfall was negatively correlated with the two indexes with r values of 0.785 (p = 0.002) and 0.448 (p = 0.093) for OPI and IPI, respectively. Our study highlights that decision makers should be more aware of recent increases in the pollution of the Xiangjiang River, especially at downriver sites and during low‐flow periods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate change impact on water resources availability: case study of the Llobregat River basin (Spain)

ABSTRACT

Climate change may have significant consequences for water resources availability and management at the basin scale. This is particularly true for areas already suffering from water stress, such as the Mediterranean area. This work focused on studying these impacts in the Llobregat basin supplying the Barcelona region. Several climate projections, adapted to the spatiotemporal resolution of the study, were combined with a daily hydrological model to estimate future water availability. Depending on the scenario and the time period, different assessment indicators such as reliability and resilience showed a future decrease in water resources (up to 40%), with drought periods becoming more frequent. An additional uncertainty analysis showed the high variability of the results (annual water availability ranging from 147 hm³/year to 274 hm³/year), thus making accurate projections difficult. Finally, the study illustrates how climate change could be taken into account to provide adaptive measures for the future.

Editor M.C. Acreman; Associate editor J. Thompson     

多目标优化下平原河网引调水改善水环境效果评估

引调水是改善平原河网地区水环境的重要方法之一,通过构建太湖流域走马塘东南片平原河网区一维水动力水质数学模型,研究不同引调水方案对区域水环境改善效果,确定引调水过程中的异质性因子.从决策目标、水质指标、空间指标3个层面综合考虑,构建环境效益与经济效益结合的多目标函数及评价体系,对引调水方案进行评估优选.结果表明:引调水流量较大时,能够在一定程度上改善区域水环境状况,规划方案下引调水5 d后,高锰酸盐指数、氨氮、总磷的平均改善率分别为30.7%、22.2%、26.4%;引调水时,区域河网中不同空间点位、不同水质指标之间的水质改善过程与效果都存在一定异质性;引调水水量、调度模式及污染源分布都会对调水后的河网区水质产生差异性影响;本研究建立的多目标评价体系较现有方法能够有效涵盖引调水中存在的异质性因子,从多个目标层面优选引调水方案,实现水量水质综合优化调控,为平原河网地区水环境长效管理与科学决策提供理论参考.     

Reflections on the history of research on large wood in rivers

Dynamics and functions of large wood have become integral considerations in the science and management of river systems. Study of large wood in rivers took place as monitoring of fish response to wooden structures placed in rivers in the central United States in the early 20th century, but did not begin in earnest until the 1970s. Research has increased in intensity and thematic scope ever since. A wide range of factors has prompted these research efforts, including basic understanding of stream systems, protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, and environmental hazards in mountain environments. Research and management have adopted perspectives from ecology, geomorphology, and engineering, using observational, experimental, and modelling approaches. Important advances have been made where practical information needs converge with institutional and science leadership capacities to undertake multi-pronged research programmes. Case studies include ecosystem research to inform regulations for forest management; storage and transport of large wood as a component in global carbon dynamics; and the role of wood transport in environmental hazards in mountain regions, including areas affected by severe landscape disturbances, such as volcanic eruptions. As the field of research has advanced, influences of large wood on river structures and processes have been merged with understanding of streamflow and sediment regimes, so river form and function are now viewed as involving the tripartite system of water, sediment, and wood. A growing community of researchers and river managers is extending understanding of large wood in rivers to climatic, forest, landform, and social contexts not previously investigated. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating river discharge from very high‐resolution satellite data: a case study in the Yangtze River,China

The measurement of river discharge is necessary for understanding many water‐related issues. Traditionally, river discharge is estimated by measuring water stage and converting the measurement to discharge by using a stage–discharge rating curve. Our proposed method for the first time couples the measurement of water‐surface width with river width–stage and stage–discharge rating curves by using very high‐resolution satellite data. We used it to estimate the discharge in the Yangtze (Changjiang) River as a case study. The discharges estimated at four stations from five QuickBird‐2 images matched the ground observation data very well, demonstrating that the proposed approach can be regarded as ancillary to traditional field measurement methods or other remote methods to estimate river discharge. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using hydrologic and hydraulically derived geometric parameters of perennial rivers to determine minimum water requirements of ecological habitats (case study: Mazandaran Sea Basin—Iran)

This paper studies one of the most important problems of dry countries that are confronted with water deficit and the competition of rivals to allocate water. Some common methods have been investigated for computing the minimum water requirement to save a river's biological activity. After a discussion of the currently used method in Iran (the Tenant Method), the application of some other methods, which are known as Hydraulic and Hydrological Methods, is illustrated. The case study is a river in the northern part of Iran and this research addresses the critical situation of this river in near future regarding the planned anthropogenic alteration and its consequences. It has been shown that the application of environmental water allocation methods that have no background in a region could be misleading. The first proposed method is the Texas Method, in which flexibility in water allocation helps to develop an integrated river management paradigm in the study area. The second preferred method is a Hydraulic Method, by which the implementation of morphological parameters or flow geometrical properties could sustain physical habitat within an acceptable range in terms of depth, width, velocity, and bed shear stress. In the case study, the Maximum Curvature Method was superior to the Slope Method. The investigation revealed that using a widely recommended slope of 1 for the discharge‐wetted perimeter function can lead to an overestimated and unacceptable discharge. The Tenant Method in respect to minimum environmental flow requirement yielded the weakest result, and it has been illustrated that its application might impose irrecoverable shock to the ecosystem. The Flow Duration Curve Method (the Q₉₅ Method), in spite of its subjectivity, showed more compatibility with the river's condition in comparison with the Tenant Method. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adjustment processes of mountainous rivers affected by tilting uplift: Laboratory experiments and a case study of Yakushima Island,Japan

Mountainous river basins are one of the main sources of sediment. Over long time scales, sediment production is sustained by the persistent dissection of river basins, which is promoted by tectonic activity. The response or adjustment of rivers to forcing factors such as uplift is based on the concept of the graded river and a feedback mechanism between the incision and uplift. Although the development of graded rivers under natural circumstances has been discussed for a long time, knowledge about the transition of river basins under heterogeneous uplift is not enough. To understand the development of a river basin with a non‐uniform uplift rate, two simple cases are examined: landward and seaward tilting uplift, where the uplift rate varies linearly in space. For our study, laboratory experiments were conducted and the results were compared with those of natural river basins; two river basins in Yakushima Island were selected for this purpose. In both the laboratory and Yakushima, the longitudinal profile of the river basin under landward‐tilting uplift has a convex‐up zone and a specific knickpoint is formed at the upstream end of this zone. This knickpoint is inactive with respect to migration and incision owing to the insufficient cumulative uplift to the equilibrium state. It was also observed in both the experimental and natural cases that the profile of the river basin under seaward tilting is unlikely to have such a convex‐up zone in the long term, and will instead have a smooth concave profile. Therefore, the spatiotemporal pattern of dissection differs depending on the type of tilting uplift, which suggests that sediment production also varies in time and space according to the type of uplift.     

Analysis of water resources in the Mahanadi River Basin,India under projected climate conditions

The paper presents the outcomes of a study conducted to analyse water resources availability and demand in the Mahanadi River Basin in India under climate change conditions. Climate change impact analysis was carried out for the years 2000, 2025, 2050, 2075 and 2100, for the months of September and April (representing wet and dry months), at a sub‐catchment level. A physically based distributed hydrologic model (DHM) was used for estimation of the present water availability. For future scenarios under climate change conditions, precipitation output of Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis General Circulation Model (CGCM2) was used as the input data for the DHM. The model results show that the highest increase in peak runoff (38%) in the Mahanadi River outlet will occur during September, for the period 2075–2100 and the maximum decrease in average runoff (32·5%) will be in April, for the period 2050–2075. The outcomes indicate that the Mahanadi River Basin is expected to experience progressively increasing intensities of flood in September and drought in April over the considered years. The sectors of domestic, irrigation and industry were considered for water demand estimation. The outcomes of the analysis on present water use indicated a high water abstraction by the irrigation sector. Future water demand shows an increasing trend until 2050, beyond which the demand will decrease owing to the assumed regulation of population explosion. From the simulated future water availability and projected water demand, water stress was computed. Among the six sub‐catchments, the sub‐catchment six shows the peak water demand. This study hence emphasizes on the need for re‐defining water management policies, by incorporating hydrological response of the basin to the long‐term climate change, which will help in developing appropriate flood and drought mitigation measures at the basin level. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

微曝气生态浮床净化入湖河口污染河水原位模型实验

针对污染河水黑臭缺氧、NH_4~+-N含量高等问题,研发了一种"漂浮载体悬挂弹性生物膜填料+水生植物并辅以人工微曝气系统"的微曝气生态浮床系统.通过原位模型实验,研究了其在大清河入湖河口对污染河水的净化效果,当水力负荷为1500mm/d时,对TN和NH_4~+-N的平均去除率分别为81.1%、91.3%,对TP的平均去除率为72.7%,对PO_4~(3-)-p的平均去除率为92.5%,对有机物亦有较强的去除能力;处理1m~3水需要的曝气费用约为0.007元.微曝气生态浮床系统整体运行稳定、去除效率高、能耗低,适合流水环境,可直接在污染河道和人湖河口区对污染河水进行自流净化.     

The influence of dilution on downstream channel sedimentation in large rivers: the Yellow River,China

Due to the temporal decoupling of water and sediment sources in a large river basin, a flood from a sediment source area with high suspended sediment concentration (SSC) may be diluted by flow from a major runoff source area with low SSC. In this paper, this dilution effect is considered for 145 flood events from the Yellow River, China. Two indices (β₁ and β₂) describing the dilution effect are proposed, based on water and sediment from the clear water source area and the coarse sediment producing area. Regression equations between channel sedimentation (S_dep) and β₁ and β₂ are established based on flood events and annual data, respectively. The results show that dilution reduces channel sedimentation in the lower reaches by 34?1% and that this is related to a reduced frequency of hyperconcentrated flows in the lower reaches. The Longyangxia Reservoir for hydro‐electric generation has stored huge quantities of clear runoff from the upper Yellow River during high‐flow season since 1985, greatly reducing the dilution of the hyperconcentrated floods and therefore enhancing sedimentation in the lower reaches. For the purpose of reducing sedimentation, changing the operational mode of the Longyangxia Reservoir to restore the dilution effect is suggested. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

鄱阳湖流域大型湖库水生生态环境变化及驱动力分析——以柘林湖为例

鄱阳湖流域内湖库资源众多,柘林湖作为鄱阳湖最大的入湖湖库,是鄱阳湖流域内最大的调节湖库,对鄱阳湖入湖径流有一定的影响,在鄱阳湖的入湖流量中占重要地位.本文以鄱阳湖流域内纳入水质良好湖泊的柘林湖为例,通过对柘林湖的形成及湖泊水系生态环境演变进行探讨,分析近30年来该湖水生生态环境的变化及其关键驱动力因子.综合研究表明:柘林湖水生生物多样性有下降趋势,水质有先变差后改善的趋势,其变化的驱动力主要是流域内人口数量增加、城镇化工业化进程加快、入湖污染负荷逐年增长、滨湖区生态安全屏障受人为破坏以及资源开发不合理等.只有处理好"人湖"和谐、"三次飞跃"和"四大转变",并采取科学合理的措施进行集成研究和综合治理,才能行之有效地改善柘林湖水生生态环境,并发挥其应有的生态效应,从而保障鄱阳湖入湖"一湖清水".     

Modelling of water withdrawal for pollutant flushing in the tidal river network,Pearl River Delta,China

Abstract

A one-dimensional water quantity and quality mathematical model was developed to evaluate the effects of joint gate–pump operation in terms of water withdrawal for pollutant flushing. The study was carried out in dry seasons in the Foshan River channel, China. The results indicate that the input of freshwater into the upper and middle reaches of the Foshan River can improve the water quality of the lower reaches. However, the backwater effect due to water diversion in the middle reaches of the river can greatly offset the cleaning processes in the upper reaches of the Foshan River. The results indicate that water quality in the upper Foshan River (Jiebian) may degrade with an increase in the rate of water withdrawal from the middle river when the discharge pumped from the upper Foshan River is less than 10m³/s; optimal water quality improvement is obtained with discharge values of 30 and 20 m³/s, respectively, at the upper and middle reaches of the Foshan River.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Liu, C.-L., Jiang, T., Zhang, Q., Zhu, S. and Li, K., 2012. Modelling of water withdrawal for pollutant flushing in the tidal river network, Pearl River Delta, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (3), 576–590.     

Reservoir-type water source vulnerability assessment: a case study of the Yuqiao Reservoir,China

ABSTRACT

In this study, we developed a method to assess reservoir-type water source vulnerability (WSV) and adapted the method to the Yuqiao Reservoir (in Tianjin in North China). First, we identified the factors that influence reservoir vulnerability and selected suitable indexes for vulnerability assessment. Second, the CRITIC, AHP and integrated weighting methods were applied to quantify the index weight. Third, the information diffusion method was applied to process the index data. Finally, the vulnerability of the Yuqiao Reservoir was assessed, and the results showed that the vulnerability of the Yuqiao Reservoir is high, with social factors (i.e. the road traffic system, automatic management control system, potential menace in evaluation scope, destructive man-made accidents, emergency management plan, and per capita water consumption) being the main reasons.     

Integrating water management,habitat modelling and water quality at the basin scale and environmental flow assessment: case study of the Tormes River,Spain

Abstract

Multidisciplinary models are useful for integrating different disciplines when addressing water planning and management problems. We combine water resources management, water quality and habitat analysis tools that were developed with the decision support system AQUATOOL at the basin scale. The water management model solves the allocation problem through network flow optimization and considers the environmental flows in some river stretches. Once volumes and flows are estimated, the water quality model is applied. Furthermore, the flows are evaluated from an ecological perspective using time series of aquatic species habitat indicators. This approach was applied in the Tormes River Water System, where agricultural demands jeopardize the environmental needs of the river ecosystem. Additionally, water quality problems in the lower part of the river result from wastewater loading and agricultural pollution. Our methodological framework can be used to define water management rules that maintain water supply, aquatic ecosystem and legal standards of water quality. The integration of ecological and water management criteria in a software platform with objective criteria and heuristic optimization procedures allows realistic assessment and application of environmental flows to be made. Here, we improve the general methodological framework by assessing the hydrological alteration of selected environmental flow regime scenarios.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Paredes-Arquiola, J., Solera, A., Martinez-Capel, F., Momblanch, A., and Andreu, J., 2014. Integrating water management, habitat modelling and water quality at the basin scale and environmental flow assessment: case study of the Tormes River, Spain. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 878–889.     

Combined effect of climate change and human activities on the hydrological processes of an urban river: case study of the Xiaoqing River,China

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to reveal statistical characteristics and exceedance probability of discharge under the combined effect of climate change and human activities. The study is conducted in the Xiaoqing River in Jinan, China, based on data of discharge, land-use types and precipitation from the period 1970–2016. A multivariate joint probability distribution of the data is established to test the univariable, bivariable and trivariable change points. These are then used to calculate and analyse the risk probability of discharge exceeding the specific values under different conditions of precipitation and land-use type. The results show that the change point calculated by trivariate joint distribution can reduce the disturbance of the change point obtained with the univariable or bivariable approach and reflect the changes of various factors in the hydrological processes more objectively. When the land-use type is taken into consideration, the trivariate distribution can reflect the variation of hydrological processes more reasonably.     

Interactions between dam‐regulated river flow and riparian groundwater: a case study from the Yellow River,China

The Xiaolangdi Dam, completed in 2000, is second in scale in China to the Three Gorges Project. It has generated remarkable economic and social benefits but with profound impacts to the riverine and regional environments. This paper reports field monitoring of riparian groundwater in the Kouma section of the Yellow River to illustrate the interactions between dam‐regulated river flow and riparian groundwater. The results show that the hydrological condition in riparian zones downstream from the dam has changed from a typical wet–dry cycle to a condition of semi‐permanent dryness, resulting in degradation of the typical attributes and functions of the wetland ecosystem. Hydrological processes in the riparian zone have changed from a complex multiple flooding regime to a simple regime of dominant groundwater drainage towards the river, which only reverses temporarily during the water and sediment regulation period of the dam. Data on groundwater level and groundwater quality show that there are two key points, at ca 200 and 400 m from the river bank, which distinguish zones with different sensitivity to changes of river flow and indicate different interactions between river water and groundwater. The shallow groundwater quality also is negatively affected by the intensive agricultural development that has occurred since the dam was completed. Ecological restoration needs to be carried out to construct a protective natural riparian zone within ca 200 m from the river, this being an ecotone, which is key to the protection of both riparian groundwater and the river. The riparian zone from 200 to 400 m also should be treated as a transitional zone. In addition, ecologically sensitive agriculture and ecotourism organized by local communities would be beneficial in the area beyond 400 m. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

水位变化对河流、湖泊湿地植被的影响

水位是湿地生态水文过程的关键因素之一,其改变将影响湿地植被覆盖度和物种组成,最终产生群落演替.从水位梯度,水位波动和人工控湖、控河工程3方面论述水位变化对湿地植被的影响:由于对水位选择的不同及彼此竞争力的差异,湿地植物种沿水位具有梯度分布现象,同时形态可塑性能对其分布范围产生一定影响;水位波动的频率和淹没持续时间对于植被演替具有基础性的作用,水位波动幅度的影响则相对较小,周期性波动能维持以草本植物为主的湿地植被的物种多样性和稳定性,非周期性波动以洪水、干旱为主,易促进湿地植被向固定的水生或陆生方向演替;人工控湖、控河的影响在机理上并无特殊之处,但保证物种多样性和生态系统稳定性的各种缓解措施具有较高的参考价值.基于机理的量化模型,自然、人为因素驱动下水位变化对湿地植被影响的差别研究,模拟水位波动实验以及人工控湖、控河工程的跟踪观测将是今后该领域研究的热点.